Martinsburg daily gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1887-1887, 1887-07-15
SECRET or RUSSIAN IRON.
How an American Discovered the Pro-
cess .of Its Manufacture.

A>-SNNess
cess EFF Its Manufactures.
A romantic story was developed re-
Gently by the initial steps Of building
Russian iron mill at Freeport, small
town thirty miles north Of this city. The
towns people donated the site and So, OC9
to firm to build there. One Of the firm
related to tho correspondent the following
story:
s.Fhis will be the first Russian iron
min over built outside of Siberia. An
imitation of Russia iron has beea made in
this country for some time, but it is not
impervious to rust. Imperviousness to
rust is the crucial test of genuine Russia
iron.
There is little history connected with
the introduction Of this industry into
America. Few persons imagine what
risk was run in learning the secret of the
treatment by which Russia iron is nissde
There are but three people outside OF Rus
STA today that know this secret INC,
are: Mr. William lei. Rogers, lis father,
and his nephew. MIR. Rogers came into
the possession of the secret in this Way:
About eighteen years ago he was sent
out as Pennsylvania state syco1agist To
Russia. He had credentials addressed to-
ex Governor Curtin, tie minister at III,
Petersburg at Tint time, and was received
" it'll great p0np and ceremony by Princess
)emidoH, IN whose Siberian mines he ws,i
,stensibly to carry on his geological II .
vestigations. The princess attended hIa
in person on his long journey, 900 mi n
into the Ural mountains, and treated the
American geologist with all the impe .isl
courtesy according to the most distiI-
guished foreigner The Russian MOBILES,
too, took great fancy to Mr.. Rogers, and
assisted That he should purchase i few
million acres Of land-in Siberia 100, 00G
ceres is but a tritie-and establish. al
American colony. Mr.. Rogers said he
hadn't the money. M
sssOh, it won't take much, they said;
"a few million dollars would answer the
purpose
sdThe offer, however, was declined as
politely as possible with6ut letting the
aobleman know that it was altogether
possible for Pennsylvania state geologist
to be as poor as the proverbial Jobs
turkey.
ssAs long as Mr.. Rogers confined his
explorations to the miners he attracted
little or no suspicion, but as soon as he
set foot inside the iron mills Of Princess
Demidoff he was subject to the most vigil
liant espionage. It must be remembered
that all the men in those mills who know
the secret of making Russian iron are
never allowed to quit the mines. II Is
difficult for Americans to understand how
this is, but to any one who has seen the
inside workings Of such despotic govern
ment as Russia's, the matter Is perfectly
plain. All who pass to and from Siberia
are yised and vised again at q thousand
different points, and the slightest susr
picion IS enough to warrant travellers
| detention. u
zone day M. Rogers was making an
| inspection Of the iron mills, when ne over
heard one of the foremen say:
sesThat's queer kind Of geologlst
have my suspicious about him.
/ ssMr. Rogers was not loAg IN making
his afTanb ements for bidding the defect
able land Of Siberia q final farewell.
with The. special study he has made q
iron making before going to Russia, ne
was not long In discovering the much q
coveted secret, and came home .deiIgn Y
with hisexperience as state geologist' -
Fttsbnr9 Cor. Globe Democrat
| Ii King Humbert is one o. the haroesA
4 z Il - ,.,Slv, xcha Ha rises at 2; ~